Currenlty Reading #24 [10 - 16 November 2024]

Currently Reading

- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer [14%]

- Hellenstic Astrology by Chris Brennan [03%]

- Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson [42%]

- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss [29%]

- Secondborn by Amy A. Bartol [50%]

* * *

Yearly Goal

75/72

* * *

I have come to understand and accept that I will not hit 100 books. With my current job and other outside responsibilities (that I volunteered for), I won't be able to dedicate nearly as much time to reading as I used to when I lived at home with my father. Back then I worked 3-11 (sometimes 3-3) and I would read in the morning. I don't do that now. 

Haha. I just looked at my Kindle app and was like "Why are there two magazines listed?" I forgot I signed up for Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine (free with my subsription to KU). Sometimes I am a dumb and I know it's my own doing. 

So...I don't wanna hear any lip. I don't. I had planned to just return the library books that were due on 11/11. And not check out anything new. But then I found a few books there that I have been dying to read and one I've absolutely never heard of that may not be the best book to be reading right now? Yeah. My goal of leaving with none at all saw me walking out with FOUR. Which is also breaking a different self-set rule of mine, which is to not borrow more than three books. Something I have been holding myself to for years. I'm already nearly done with one.

I've made the second large deposit to the account to bring up the money that I owe myself from my reading. We are at a hefty $675 of $7,060. So...only $6,385 to go~! It's gonna take a year's worth of deposits to make this work. Perhaps any extra money I accrue between now and then will go into the account. If someone gives me cash or something. I don't know. We'll see. 

My reading has been going fairly well this whole week so far. I've finished one audiobook. Never even got to tell you about it. I started it and finished it between ending the last blog post and starting this one. I listened to Six Crimson Cranes by Elizbeth Lim. Currently I'm listening to the 28-hour long monster, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. 

Currently Reading #23 [03 - 09 November 2024]

Currently Reading

- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer [14%]

- The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer [00%]

- Hellenistic Astrology by Chris Brannen [03%]

- Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson [31%]

- Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim [20%]

- The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owens [93%]

* * *

Yearly Goal

73/72

* * *

Reading has been going fairly well this last few weeks. October I managed 9 books, and I'm already at 4 for November, and we're only just now at the end of the first full week. If I can keep up the pace, that would be what...16 books in November? 4 a week. I like that...Probably won't do it though, knowing me. There are two nonfiction books that I'm reading and those tend to take FOREVER. I take my time to read through them and absorb what I'm reading. 

I've started using the library more? Figure it's not but a 15-minute drive to get to the library from work, so we may as well take advantage of that. I do limit myself, because I know my own reading speeds. I have to really want to read the book and then I will only allow myself to get three maximum per visit. That way I'm not drowning in library books. Though I think I'll take the rest of 2024 off from the library to read the books I already own. It's only in the thousands for unread!

I have also decided, probably foolishly, that I am going to retroactively put in the money that I owe myself. Based on the records I have and averaging it out for the years that are missing between when I stopped using Goodreads and started using Storygraph...I would have a total of 804 books from 2008 - 2024 (not as much as those people who regularly read 200-250 a year....) and $4,020. I did lose 2010 - 2014, so I just averaged out the rest of what I had and used that for the number to get to where I needed to be. Which it turned out my average is 67. So far this year, I'm beating that average. There are a few years that I know are definitely wrong. 2008/2009 where I had a grand total between them of 8 books. And others that are way below my average. Then there is 2020. 126 total books read. Can you guess what I was doing during the height of Covid? I am curious to see how many I can finish this year...so far we are at 73 (nearly 74, that last 7% of The Games Gods Play). 

Has anything else happened? Um, I did get my 2024 tote from BN. I picked the orange one this time. Next year I'll get the gray. Then unless they add colors, I'll skip on them. I'll have the full set. Seems like a great plan to me. I like this one because it says "Bag of Books" on it. I'll have to remember to bring it the next time we go out! I like that they are made of nice, thick, canvas. Not the thin stuff most reusable bags are made of. Maybe it's because they know too many readers are going to stuff the thing with books almost past capacity? 

I remembered today that it's officially Nonfiction November and I do actually have two nonfiction books on my reading list this time. I can't believe I managed it. Normally, I forget and then just read whatever I want. I can sort of properly participate this year! Go me. 

Currently Reading #22 [20 October - 02 November 2024]

Currently Reading

- Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah [74%]

- Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson [31%]

- Hellenistic Astrology by Chris Brennan [03%]

- Kindred by Erica Stevens [01%]

- The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan [21%]

- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston [22%]

- The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owens [01%]

* * *

Yearly Goal

70/72

* * *

I am but TWO books away from reaching my reading goal for the year and I am writing this on the second of November! (I know, I know, I'm not exactly keeping up). I think my reading has been improving over the last few months. I've been actually setting aside the time to read and have been maintaining my reading. 

I think I will end up finishing a second book before the weekend is out. I'm 74% of the way through Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah and I may end up making progress in One Last Stop by Casy McQuiston, which isn't all that bad if a little slow. It may be the format? I don't know. I flew right through Red, White, and Royal Blue when I got it from Book of the Month, and I like sapphic romance, so I'm not sure what's stopping me from enjoying this to the same degree? 

Managed to put the money into savings that should have already been there. I kept having to dip to make ends meet with my last job. This new one pays me enough that I don't have to worry about that any more. I'm right about to hit the actual goal I set, so I'm at a minimum of $360 for the year.  I put away $5 for each book I complete, as I complete it. Perhaps at the end of each reading year I will mark down the total earned in my records notebook...I don't know. I'll think on it. 

November 2024 To-Be-Read

I am really good at forgetting to post these....let's see if I stick to the one I have for this month....

1. The Road of Bones by Demi Winters - My November 2024 Book of the Month selection. It follows a Nordic woman as she has to travel the terrifying Road of Bones to save herself or someone she cares about. I forget exactly which. It looked really good and I am definitely looking forward to diving into it when it arrives. 

2. The Book of Witching by C.J. Cook - My October pick from Book of the Month club. I've been gettin behind in reading them and I really do want to catch up. This one follows a mother after her daughter returns from the woods and is refusing to answer to her own name. I'm intrigued by the premise and want to know how it will eventually resolve itself. 

3. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer - This one was from...um...May? June? I don't remember. Possibly even from last year. I recently picked up The Lost Story, but wanted to read through her debut before picking that one up. I figured it was as good a time as any. This one follows a woman who is an avid fan of an author and enters a competition to win the one copy of his next book. There are stakes involved and she may not get what she wants. Remember the old addage: Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. 

4. The Book of Prime by Katy Baker - I have absolutely no idea what this is about. I could look it up, but that would probably spoil a lot of the fun. I think it's some kind of shifter smut? Don't know. It's a book I got a very long time ago for my Kindle and I have absolutely no memory of the synopsis. I'm just planning on reading the older ones first now. 

5. Kindred by Erica Stevens - Literally the same as the last one, only I think this one is about vampires? I have no idea. Wish me luck in not DNF'ing them....I just want to work my way through my horrific backlog...

6. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan - When I get a long swath of nothing to do but the same task over and over at work, I like to put on an audiobook. In a week, I finished three. I set up a PickerWheel to select the book that I will listen to next from the ones available currently to me (I use Audible, ChirpBooks, and CloudLibrary) and it chose this for the next book. It's only 29:57 long. Not too terrible for the credits I spent on it...

7. Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson - As usual, this one is added onto the bottom of the TBR as a continuation novel. I am determined to finish it. I haven't made it to the exciting part yet, and I've even managed to misplace the book (again). Hopefully I can finish the blasted thing before the end of the year. I'm actually tempted to pick up the ebook/audiobook in order to help myself get though it faster...

8. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - I loved her other book when I got it and read it. Who wouldn't? So now I'm hoping to get through this library book before the end of the month (really before 11/11 when it's due...) 

9. The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owens - It is about Greek gods who live on Earth and there is some kind of competition Hades is participating in. I know nothing else and it looks absolutely brilliant. I want to read it!!! It's another library book due 11/11. 

Currently Reading #21 [13 - 19 October 2024]

Currently Reading

- Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson [31%]

- Hellenistic Astrology by Chris Brennan [02%]

- Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah [64%]

- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston [18%]

- Phantasma by Kaylie Smith [54%]

- Small Favors by Erin A. Craig [33%]

* * *

Yearly Goal

68/72

* * *

I finished one book on Sunday, and felt awkward adding it to last week's post, so I've just tagged it to this one instead. Not like it was going to be all that different either way.

I realized I have to prioritize three books over the others: The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde (library book due back 21 October), Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty (library book due back 28 October), and Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews (eARC due 29 October). These are the top books I absolutely need to get through this week.

There is another book that is in my BookFunnel, but we have not gotten the email about it that I think we were supposed to to talk about when it is due back. So, that will remain in reading limbo. 

Do not get upset with me! I completely forgot to upload the blog post last week and now I'm working on a double. I told you that I was terrible at remembering. Even with reminders on my phone and in my planner. I just get wrapped up in reading and forget about it completely! I'm sorry!

In slightly different news: I've finished both of those library books that I have borrowed previously and Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews (my preorder comes this upcoming week, on Tuesday, I do believe). I've now borrowed three new books. Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown (finished), One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (currently reading), and The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owens (to read next). They all looked really good and I cannot wait to get through them. I am very much looking forward. 

I have discovered that when they give me a task at work where I will be at it for a few unbroken hours, barring of course lunch and break times, I can make it through quite a bit of any book on 2-2.25x speed. I listened through two books this week. One of them was something like 12-14 hours? I don't exactly remember what the full thing was and I've already returned the book to the library. 

I love my literary friends, really, but this one is just denser than a box of rocks. I told her about a post I'd seen where the person was talking about reading their entire physical TBR. A grand feat, I assure you. I told my friend that if I were to do such a thing it would take me years to get through mine. Plural. She replies "Wow, a whole year!" and I'm like "Um, no. At my current reading speed, considering the size of some of the books I own, and the subject matter....we're looking at closer to sixty or seventy years before I get through everything. And that's only if I don't buy anything new or borrow anything from the library/Kindle Unlimited. I'd have a lot of reading to do. 

October 2024 Wrap Up

In October, I read 9 books: 

1. Malediction's Embrace by Candice Morris - It was really well done. I enjoyed my read through of it and now I kind of want to build what amounts to a Drow fighter? Minolynn "Lynn" Niraeth has lost her parents at an astoundingly young age. One at the hands of her brother, Xaraan, whom she is now chasing. From what we know, he'd fallen to a very evil godling and she wants to save him before its too late. I loved it. The way it read like a D&D campaign that hasn't immediately gone off the rails is beautiful. 

2. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying a Vampire by Grady Hendrix - Dude with no history at all just blows into town one day in 1993. No one knows a thing about him. He wiggles his way into the fabric of the South Carolina town. Eventually his true nature comes out and a book club works together to protect their community from a monster. I liked it. I found it weird that I personally knew someone who shared a name with one of the characters (though to the best of my knowledge, she did not live in South Carolina in the 90s?). Definitely taking second and third looks at people who just show up with no kind of family or community ties from now on. 

3. Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews - I have absolutely no idea what I read. It was sad, it was scary, it had hope. I'm lost on how exactly to describe this book. We follow Andrew Perrault as he enters into his senior year at this private boarding school in the US somewhere. I don't exactly remember where. He is already marked as an outsider as he is Australian and people make fun of him for that alone. We then follow as all this weird stuff goes down at the school. There will be a better review here. I loved it and I am going to certainly look into more books by C.G. Drews in the future. 

4. The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde - This was very unique as far as books go. I have never seen any where the tale of the Oak and Holly Kings are told by themselves. Kierse thought she was a perfectly above average thief who just happened to like wrens. When she found out what was really going on, boy did that color her world. I enjoyed how monsters of various flavors were included in the story as just being part of the world, but then also had an actual history of how they got there. The only thing I don't follow is the necessity of including a somewhat graphic sex scene. Eh, to each their own. 

5. Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert -  What...what did I read? I am usually really good at guessing what's happening throughout a thriller and I was absolutely clueless. I kept making my guesses about who the Outcast was. I thought for sure I'd had it right and then Markert threw one hell of a curveball at us with the psychic connection between people. I loved it and I am going to keep looking for more Markert books when they come out. 

6. Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty - This was interesting. I definitely enjoyed most of it. Didn't really like how we kept getting pushed back and forth in the narrative's timeline until they all meshed together in the end. The lack of separated chapters in the audiobook also kind of made it weird. If I paused it in the middle of Krishna or Shishupal's POV and their names weren't immediately mentioned, it would take me a bit of time to figure out who I was reading from. Other than that, I did like the India-inspired tale. 

7. Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown - I honestly only picked this up because of the author. I have been a fan of Millie Bobby Brown for a while (and not just for her role of Jane/Eleven in Stranger Things) and I was curious at how she would do as an author. I was not disappointed. Yes, I am aware that she did not actually write the book herself. She used a ghostwriter and she simply worked with her. I loved following the Morris family as they just tried to survive WWII. We follow her through a few months of her life in Bethnal Green during 1944-1945. How she falls in love, loses those closest to her, and ends up on the adventure of a lifetime. 

8. Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur - This was picked at random. I had requested it from NetGalley and got declined and then found it on Audible and well, I couldn't resist. It was interesting watching them work their way through their relationship. The romantic and the realist navigating an attraction that felt like it was straight out of the movies. I loved how she kind of started adopting more realistic ideology and he did the same with romantic.  

9. Small Favors by Erin A. Craig - This book was so odd. I thought at first is was going to be just this cute novel about a apiarist and their life. Nope. Not even a little. This town is cut off from everything else and they kind of have to rely on themselves or two trips out to the city for supplies. Something happens. These...monsters? I guess...appear and no one can make it past the pass and into the city. And winter is approaching so they will need to get provisions. They can't. I guessed how Whitaker was involved from the beginning and it was definitely worth it for his part in the story. He had been given the tools to be able to help them break free. I think everyone should check it out!!

Currently Reading #20 [06 - 12 October 2024]

Currently Reading

- Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson [25%]

- Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah [28%]

- Hellenistic Astrology by Chris Brennan [02%] 

- Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert [28%]

- Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews [52%]

- Phantasma by Kaylie Smith [00%]

- The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix [80%]

- The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde [34%]

- Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty [13%]

* * *

Yearly Goal

61/72

* * *

Not that I needed another read on top of the EIGHT that I already had going, but my Discord server decided that we would read Phantasma by Kaylie Smith. It looks good. I will give you all that. It's also enormous if memory serves. And we only have until 02 November to finish it. I don't know if I will...at least I will try!

I also told you all I was bad at this. I remembered to post my 01-05 entry on the 12th. Because, you know, brain. Let's see if I can remember to post this week's when I'm supposed to. 

I've made decent progress in my reading for the month so far now that I'm taking my Kindle with me to my new job as well as my Dime Black earbuds. I no longer work in a customer service setting and I've only just gotten through my first week in a sheetmetal manufacturing plant (I work over in packing). It's been interesting and I've gotten through a lot of the two books I've been needing to prioritize. Which also means that a few books have fallen into the land of soft-DNF. 

What else happened...um...oh! I finished Malediction's Embrace and I have to say I adored it. The whole thing reads like its D&D inspired. Not affiliated with them or Wizards of the Coast or even Hasbro because of the way she sidesteps the words they use (drow, Lolth, tabaxi, tiefling) but it was still well done and I liked it. Makes me wonder what kind of fun words can I come up with to replace them? 

Nothing else particularly exciting has happened. I'm either working, sleeping, or reading. Let's continue this in next week's!!